Jo-Jo

I growled angrily as Hybrid picked me up. I could sense his trust. He slung me over his shoulder, and the movement promptly made me black out. I woke up in an apartment. I sniffed the air, and recognized it as Simone’s. Angrily I tried to sit up. As soon as my air magic was back full force, I would kill Hybrid. I would kill them all, and show how much I trusted them. Simone, for letting this thing into her life, and for being an arrogant woman. And this.. Thing for even bothering to let me live.

Hybrid gave me a purple vial, and explained to me what it did. I didn’t want to take it. I shook my head, and growled. “I will not take anything you give me.”

I secretly shot out my two fingers in his direction, and felt a pulse of air magic flow around me, but not enough to do damage. Good. At least my powers were coming back without help from some magical potion.

-----

“So it was one of The Strange who did this?” By this I meant William, but I’m sure Midnight knew.

I followed Midnight and Kivan, with William’s body slung over my shoulder. I was starting to get tired, and the knife in my inner pants sheath was beginning to become a bother. Yet we kept on walking.

“Where are we going?” I huffed. Not from exhaustion, but from sheer boredom. This whole walk was kept silent, and it was not as reassuring to have a dead man slung over your shoulder. My mind wandered to Hybrid. Where had he gone? Well, wherever he was, I hoped he was burying Jo-Jo.

"Yes, I think it was one of the Strange," I said, glancing ack at William. My mind whirled, trying to come up with a way to make it better. But no answers were coming to me. I looked ahead, hiding my tears of both anger and sorrow from both Kivan and Simone. Kivan sighed. "The only place near enough is our castle. We can figure out what to do with William there." He looked around. "Any idea where Hybrid went? I haven't seen him since we left the Bionics dungeons." I resisted the urge to laugh. He was wondering where Hybrid had gone? Usually he didn't bother with him. I glared at the ground as we continued, ignoring the tears that fell to the ground. The Bionics would pay, and so would whichever of the two Strange that did this! ...That was mainly what was on my mind, but I knew there was still no way I could manage on my own. Would Simone or Hybrid be willing to help me? Kivan wouldn't...my dad wouldn't allow any of the vampire warriors to help me...I might be able to talk one of the healers into helping me, but healers had little knowledge about fighting, and it would be the same as going on my own, just with the chance of killing a friend who wouldn't be able to defend themselves. What was I going to do?

"Just trying to help..." I said, placing the vial on a table and sitting down in a chair, then shapeshifting to my original human form. I felt guilty for almost killing Jo-Jo, even though she tried to kill me. I guess you could call it compassion. I looked down for a bit, thinking. Without looking back up, I asked, "...have you ever felt guilty about doing something wrong, and wanted to do anything to make it up? Well, that's how I feel right now..." My voice began sounding a bit sad as emotions cluttered my head. I sat there for a minute, waiting to see if she would respond. When she didn't, I explained. "...you see...I know what you're going through. I've been through it before. You're down and not a friend in the world to help you up...well not anymore. I'm not going to let you suffer through the same experience. Everyone else might hate you, but I don't." I said, now looking up at her. I stood up and walked over to her, and said, "I'll be that one friend that helps you up. So do you need anything? You're looking a little under the weather.." I added.

“Not to be rude, but I’ve gotten used to the way you two smell. You know that your scent is terrible to a Lycan, right? I don’t know if I could handle a castle full.”

I kept walked, and stopped, shrugging William’s body onto my other shoulder. I shook the feeling back into my other shoulder, and kept on walking. I read Midnight’s thoughts. “Yes, I’ll help you. Hybrid is another story. He’s been acting distant ever since I found Jo-Jo.”

I found the knife attached to my hip sheath, and gripped it. Not that I needed it, but it felt comfortable the way the hilt steadied my trembling hand. Maybe William’s scent was getting to me, but I would have to eat soon.

----

Jo-Jo

“You.. Are not my friend. You were going to kill me. I saw your aura. You would have unless I sucked the fire from your throat. By the way, thanks for the burns.”

I hissed under my breath at Hybrid’s words. “I look fine.”
I stood up, and stumbled over to the mirror. Scratch that. My blood was dried on my shirt and throat, and the burns on my arms looked terrible.

“Simone will know I’ve been here. Are you going to kill her to protect me?”

[Edited]

"I wouldn't worry about it; we can go around to the small cabin. There used to be vampire living there, but they abandoned it a long time ago. After all, vampires aren't exactly fond of the way lycans smell, either," Kivan said, glancing back. "And you'll help Midnight with what?"

I flinched, then thought to Simone, My brother would never allow it. He'll try to keep me back. "Oh, nothing," I said, forcing my self to sound cheerful and failing altogether. I swallowed. But hunting them down might take a while to get to...I'm going to need to calm down. If thinking about it is going to make me start crying while I'm fighting, it'll do me more harm than good. At least until I can calm down. I knew that would be longer than I liked, but I really needed to calm down. Tears could blind people; blur their vision. That would be the last thing I would want in any fight.

I thought back to the fight, and then I sat back down in the chair, feeling guilty. I probably would have killed her, but that was because I was blinded by my anger... "I was..confused. But that's nothing I can change now." I said, looking down again. "But no, I'm not going to kill Simone. I'll explain to her. She'll understand." I said, standing and walking into the bathroom. I grabbed a few medicinal pads and some bandage wrap, then a rag, and got the rag wet, then walked back out to Jo-Jo. I gave her the rag and started to apply the pads carefully to her arms, then wrapped them to make sure they would stay on. I stood back and said, "There. Those pads will heal those burns in no time. Hmm...You look a little hungry..." I added, then walked to the Kitchen and snagged two steaks, then walked back and offered her one. I was sure Simone wouldn't mind.

Jo-Jo

My eyes widened in bewilderment as Hybrid cleaned the burns and put pads on them. I shrank away from his touch, and turned the other way. “Simone does not understand anything unless it is killing or thinking about killing, or her damn fish.”

Then Hybrid walked to the kitchen, bringing back steaks. I shrank away and hissed under my breath. Was he trying to turn me into a bloodthirsty wolf?
“I don’t.. Eat..Steak. I eat wild animals..Simone only eats that foul meat because she has taught herself.”

I faced the wall, and gasped in agony as I felt my air elemental magic rush back into me. Like freight train had crashed into my chest. To Hybrid, it might have looked like a sob. To me, it was the beginning of the end for Hybrid. I flicked my wrist, and felt my air magic vibrate in the air around me, and I smiled.

-----

“Sounds okay to me. Curious, but what do Lycans smell like to Vampires? You smell like a tang that burns the nose. Indescribable, yet highly annoying.”

Your brother will come around, or I’ll put a knife to his throat.
Of course I had meant the knife to the throat as a joke, and I hoped Midnight would take it that way.

“Hey, what will we do with William?..”

She shrank away from me after I had finished cleaning her burns, and then she basically insulted Simone. I was enraged for a moment, but then quickly calmed back down, remembering she could see my aura. "..I-I'm sorry...I'll just..put these back then..." I said shakily, then went and put the steaks back. I came back and, to me, it looked like she sobbed. I walked over to her and asked, "Hey..are you OK?" while rubbing one of my arms. "...was it something I said?" After getting no response, I sat down on the couch and looked away. She was making it very hard to be compassionate, but I would try anyways. She looked like something was troubling her... I stood back up and walked over to her, and asked, "It really seems like something's troubling you......do you want to talk about it?" I added, placing a hand on her shoulder. I was feeling really bad for her now, and would do anything to make it up for what I'd done. After all, I was feeling like it was all my fault.

(edited)

Jo-Jo

Hybrid seemed genuinely concerned. Maybe I was being to cold. It wouldn’t hurt for me to be nicer, seeing as he would be dead soon. I didn’t shrink away when he laid his hand on my shoulder. I stiffened, and spoke quietly. “Your aura suggests you’re sorry. Do not feel sorry for me.”

I turned to face him, my expression unreadable. Then I shrugged away from his grip, and sat down on the couch. I felt my stomach grumble. I was still too weak for hunting, but I would have to, soon. I closed my eyes for a moment, and sighed. Was I having second thoughts on killing Hybrid? My mind was set on Simone, but maybe Hybrid could redeem himself in my eyes, which would take a lot of work. He didn’t know the bomb in The Base was myself. He thought it was he who did it, and I was alright with keeping his knowledge that way.

She didn't try to get away from me that time. That was good, but she said not to feel sorry for her. How in the world could I not? I had almost killed her, and I would probably never forgive myself until she forgave me. She sat on the couch, and I heard her stomach rumble. I thought for a minute, said, "Wait here. I'll be right back.", then ran out the door. After a good 10 minutes, I came back through the door with a few wild animals, and offered them to Jo-Jo with a smile. If she was ever going to forgive me, I would need to make it up to her, and fetching food for her was definitely the very least I could do.

(edited)

"I'm not sure...I'm still thinking on that myself. The humans bury their dead...but I don't want to give him back to them...is that a bad thing?" I asked, thinking only of the last question she asked. Kivan sighed. "To a vampire...you smell like...well, it's hard to describe. A little too sweet...sort of like an adder; sweet-smelling poison, really. But it's far too much for our senses. And...if we don't give him back to the humans...vampire preserve their dead with magic. I think that's what she has in mind," Kivan said. I turned slightly red. "Well...sort of..."

I thought back to Simone. A knife to the throat? ...Ha, he'd stop then...hopefully you're kidding about that. But he won't come around; he'll think it's much too dangerous for me. I haven't had any training in fighting, and that's going to be his point. But training as a fighter among vampires takes years...there might be more Bionics then...

To become a warrior as a Lycan, you must be at least 13. You use brawn and fists instead of smarts and skill. To become an assasin, which is what I am, you must also be 13, but you put forth ten times more effort. You do not have to fight with fists to become a warrior, Midnight.

I decided to be blunt about this. "Kivan, you will let Midnight fight. Did you see her harness the water back with the Bionics? Blind rage fueled her, and I can see in her aura, the purple tinting the edges. The fury is still there, and if you let her fight, she would become better than even your finest warriors. As for William, Lycan customs suggest you honour the body by sitting 24 hour vigil, and then burn the remains. You scatter the ashes amongst the deceaseds' favourite place, so their spirit may choose where to rest. But..Preserving the body sounds okay to me."

I had never thought of preserving a dead being. What would be the point of seeing their outside if you could not sense their inside? Their soul, that made them a being? I suppose customs differ.

----

Jo-Jo

What else could I have done besides wait. Hybrid would have tracked me down sooner or later, and reality was that I wasn't in a mood to run anymore. If Hybrid had any intentions of killing me, he would have done it already. He came back soon afterwards, and my jaw dropped with what he had with him.

A deer, and two rabbits. One of the rabbits was scarcely alive, and it infuriated me to see how careless Hybrid had been when he hunted. I couldn't let it suffer. Standing up, I snatched the rabbit away from Hybrid, hissing at him as I did. "You do NOT let them live if you have intentions of giving them to me. This one is unfit."

I pressed my mouth to the barely breathing rabbit's forehead. It's scared heart thudded in its chest. I blew my breath against the rabbit's soft fur, and part of my soul entered his. I felt his aura return to normal, whichever that may be for a rabbit, and his pulse regulated within his body. I stroked the rabbit to calm him down as he came to sense with what was happening. I turned to Hybrid, and growled in annoyance. "You tainted the ways of how I hunt. You didn't even thank the spirits for letting you catch them, did you? And you let this one LIVE. That is torture. Take the dead ones away, they're tainted."

I sighed, and set the rabbit down on the couch, who promptly burrowed down between the cushions. He felt a bond to me now, and wouldn't be going anywhere. "I might as well eat steak."
I spat the last word as I went to the kitchen, and grabbed one from the refridgerator. I didn't bother with manners, I was covered in blood already. After finishing it, I walked back to the living room, and stared at Hybrid, who was standing there with his jaw dropped, holding a dead dear and a rabbit. I laughed a bit, and smiled faintly.
"You feel in debt. You don't owe me anything. And I don't care if you tried to kill me. You're a worthy apponent. But next time finish me off, instead of keeping me alive. And there will be a next time, Hybrid."
The corner of my lip went up in a smirk, and I laughed again.

At thriteen? ...Vampires don't necessarily have an age limit...we look at the individuals maturity because everyone ages at different rates. At least, vampires do and, from what I've seen, humans, too. And I know that; I know that I don't have to fight with fists...But I'm still trying to learn what exactly it is that I can do with this...I've been pulling the thoughts of others...and it hurts them. I'm trying to find out if I can use the water to rust out the mechanical parts of the Bionics...

But then she was talking out loud. She was ordering Kivan to let me fight. Ordering! Better than one of his finest warriors...how did she figure? I was still a simple healer...though to exact that revenge, I would have to be able to fight. Because we were linked, I could feel her confusion at preserving the body. It's so we can better remember our dead, what they looked like, and, for vampires, at least, seeing them after they've calmed from the initial shock of death, it calms a vampire, and lets us know that they are in peace; better that than having them missing and not knowing if they are still alive and being tortured, or if the body is being disgraced by others.

(lemme know if you want me to edit anything in this post!)

I had no words to say at this point. What COULD I have said, anyway? I had gone out and hunted for her, and she couldn't even say thank you? I just stood there as she went to the kitchen to get a steak. Then she started talking about how I didn't owe her anything. I still felt like I did. Then she talked about how there would be a next time that we fight. Without a word, I turned around and went through the door, still carrying the deer and rabbit, head hanging. I felt like I had let her down. I wanted to make that up as well. I went outside and disposed of the two remaining animals, then went back inside, but didn't bother to go into Simone's apartment. Instead, I sat outside against the wall, head in my hands. I then got up and walked outside. I punched a tree and yelled, "What am I doing wrong?" Then I slid down to my knees, buried in thought and emotions. I would have to make it up to her now. I just had to. She said not to, but I would try anyway. I walked back inside and went back into Simone's apartment, and just sat down in an unoccupied seat, saying nothing. I was just thinking.

[Yer' good.]



I see. Lycans train because there were never many of us to begin with. By training defense, as well as attack, we ensured that our race would survive. But I can sense your worry.


"Midnight could kill me in a fight if she set her mind to it." And I meant it. Midnight was a worthy opponent, and if you made her mad enough, she would develop the killing instinct I knew vampires had.

"As for William.. You may do what you want. I can tell that affection ran deep between you two, and what you do with his.. body.. is soley up to you and your people."

-----

Jo-Jo

I bit my lip in anger. How had I caused him this much anguish? I could sense his aura even as he went downstairs to dispose of the dead animals. Angry, Confused, Sad? I let my guard drop down a few notches. He wasn't going to harm me, and I had said I would kill him. What was it like, receiving a death threat so blunt as that?

Hybrid came back inside, and took a seat. He kept quiet, staring straight ahead at nothing. What could I do? A bit awkwardly, I plopped down on the floor, a few feet away from Hybrid. I scratched absentmindedly at my arm, and then spoke.

"Don't feel bad for almost killing me. I mean it Hybrid, you owe me nothing. And if it means something, I forgive you?"

I didn't bother telling him that his thoughts were clearly displayed in his aura, which was swirling with colours of confusion.

I sat there for a minute, just staring at her, before responding, "...thanks." and let out a sigh of relief. I was really glad she had forgiven me. Sure, I felt bad for almost killing her, but she had forgiven me for it, and that was all I needed. "You wouldn't believe how much that means to me." I said, relaxing. I had a clear concious, and that was good enough for me. Now I just had to wonder, was Simone going to find us? Would she try to kill Jo-Jo, even if I explained what had happened? "I'm gonna get some rest. Wake me up if Simone comes back." I said, laying down on the couch. I realized I was very tired, and I fell asleep within a few minutes.

Ensured that your race survived...no offense, but I don't think you covered what to do if the Strange came and suddenly attacked. The bomb didn't help, either.

"Even if she could...there are a lot more of the Bionics than one vampire; even i you and Hybrid go, you're too outnubered. I won't be able to get the other vampires to follow, and I'm not going to my own death. Why should I allow her to go to hers?" Kivan argued. I was still thinking about other things. "Even if we were to preserve the body...where do we put it? He wouldn't have liked being put among other dead vampires...especially considering a good portion of them are ashes..." Kivan rolled his eyes. A deep affection...we hadn't even been given enough time to figure out for ourselves...

Jo-Jo

I grunted a response as Hybrid laid down, and fell asleep. I could easily kill him now. He let his guard down. Yet I only sat there, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he slept. I didn't know aliens had a heart. What was that he had said before he became one of them? That he was normal? I didn't believe it.


-----


We had never known things like that existed! As for the bomb, I do not know who it was. Someone high in rank within The Base planted it, that I'm sure of.

I growled, clearly offended by Midnight's seeming unoffending words.

"Once again, what you do with the body is your decision. I'm only the body-carrier, right? Kivan, you should guard your thoughts, they splatter across your aura."
I was referring to his comment about Midnight's affection for William.
"You do not know your sister all that well."

I flash stepped in front of Kivan, and halted him with my free hand. Without a word, I pressed my hand over his eyes, and murmered a chant. This would let him see auras, temporarily. Stepping back before he could slap my hand away, I turned him towards Midnight.

"Do you see now, Kivan? You think you know everything."

Confused, Kivan looked over me. He sighed, saying, "Look, I see the aura you're showing me, but what good does that do me? I don't understand what the different auras mean, or anything." I gave a little jolt. She was showing him auras? She could do that?

Still, I though to her, I didn't mean to sound offensive; no one was expecting them. Even now, we still can't predict them. Who knew they would be working with the Bionics?

"What it does you is this. The purple at the edge, is anger. It's the will to fight, or die trying. Your sister is NOT a baby, Kivan. She's probably older than me. Point is, she can take care of herself."

I smiled assuringly at Midnight, and sent her a thought. Bionics have no soul, no compassion. They are programmed to do one thing, and that is obey their Master. If one of The Strange somehow circuited them into doing his bidding, then we may be up against a hell of alot more then you, Hybrid, Kivan, and I can handle.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't so re-assuring, but it was the truth.

Though it did litle good, I memorized what she was saying. Purple=anger. Got that much. Only at the edges? ...Well...I suppose I was still in a way crying over William. Bionics were programmed to obey a master? I didn't know that the Bionics were controlled...but we already fouhgt off so many...there can't be too many left...I thought they were all supposed to be making sure I didn't escape, though?

Kivan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I know she's not a baby; I wouldn't have pushed William to ask Midnight if I didn't. But my point is she's allowing anger to control her actions." And, if she dies trying, that'll upset me, he added in a thought to himself.

Out loud, he said, "We should keep going. We still have about half an hour before we get there, and we don't want the body any worse than it is to preserve it."

[I have tournaments, I'll post on Sunday. Seriously, play me as an NPC and keep this roleplay going, I'll jump in when I come back!]

(nah, I can wait.)

"Bionics are.. well, Bionics."
I really didn't have an answer for what Midnight had thought.

I turned my attention back to Kivan as we walked. "What's wrong with letting anger control your actions?"
That's what I was taught. It was easier that way.

"I was wondering, erh.. What exactly do you do to preserve a body?" I was curious, I had never seen a death ceremony held by vampires before.

"We use vampire magic," I answered, and started walking again. "We have to heal the body, and then more experienced vampires preserve the body. The problem will be trying to talk one of those older vampires into preserving the body for us, or we have to figure it out on our own. Kivan might be able to do it, but I know I can't." Kivan started to follow, adding, "But anger isn't always the best. Anger can be blinding, especially to a vampire that...went through what she just did." He hadn't said anything just to keep my from crying. It didn't help, though. I had to slow down, trying to stop. "Even if we do manage to figure it out...where will we put him?" I insisted, wincing as I noticed just how shaky my voice was.